The Nanny Diaries
by Little Lady Eowyn
Summary: Set in Storybrooke (no curse) Belle, a university student, is asked by Mr Gold to be the nanny for his disabled son. After spending time with Bae, she vows to reconnect a father and son so broken by life's circumstances, and maybe mend her own broken heart in the process. Rated T for safety. Leave reviews please!
1. Chapter 1

**The Nanny Diaries **

**Summary:**

**Set in Storybrooke (no curse) Belle, a university student, is asked by Mr Gold to be the nanny for his disabled son. After spending time with Bae, she vows to reconnect a father and son so broken by life's circumstances, and maybe mend her own broken heart in the process. **

**Author's note:**

**This fic is a prime example of procrastinating when I should be working on my other story "let me be free", but, you know how it is with plot bunnies, they don't leave you alone! Please review, it's nice to get feedback!**

**Disclaimer:**

**I don't own once upon a time or its characters – such a shame!**

"So, Miss French, do you have the list of references I requested before this interview?" Mr Gold sat proudly in him armchair in his rather large living room. Miss French, or Belle as everyone else called her, was sitting on the much lower sofa, giving him the advantage of height and therefore scope for intimidation.

"Yes Mr Gold." She responded politely, handing over the document encased in a plastic sleeve. She smiled sweetly at him. Clearly the intimidation route was not going to work very well.

"Hmm, this is impressive." Gold commented as he read over her resume and references. "Tell me, Miss French, why do you believe I should hire you to care for my disabled son?" His cold tone was alarming to Belle, and she was momentarily shocked by the way he spoke about his son. She saw what looked like years of regret in his eyes. She decided to be brave and not look away.

"Mr Gold, I believe I can look after Baelfire with the compassion he needs, I have experience working with children with disabilities and I hope I can make both your lives easier by helping out."

Gold seemed to ponder this for a moment. Truth be told, Belle was the only person who had applied for the live-in nanny position for his ten year old son, and he was exhausted shouldering the responsibility of it all himself. He was also genuinely surprised that the girl had offered to make life easier for them both. It wasn't every day a paid employee showed concern or interest in their employer.

"Now, as for the matter of your duties; Bae is able to shower and dress himself, however I will need you to prepare the meals, shop, cook, run errands, clean the house, take Bae to school and help him with his homework."

"That sounds reasonable." Belle said, still showing no sign of being afraid of Gold or being overwhelmed by the nature of her job description.

"How do you feel you are going to balance everything with your final year of study, taking care of Bae and this house, as well as work Friday and Saturday nights at the diner?"

"I'll do a meal plan for the week and keep on top of the cleaning by doing one area of the house every day; I'll study when Bae's at school and you two will have Friday and Saturday nights without me."

"Very good answer, Miss French. Now you do understand that if working at the diner interferes with your duties here, I will ask you to leave that job as I will be your primary employer." Belle nodded in agreement.

"Well, Miss French, I have one last question. Why would you prefer to spend your university breaks here instead of with your father? I understand he needs your help with the shop?"

Belle shifted slightly uncomfortably in her chair. She wasn't prepared for the personal questions. To stall time she took a sip of water and continued. "Mr Gold, my father does need my help, unfortunately he won't take it, and so until he's ready I can't live with him. I pay for my university fees myself and make no demands on him." She sat up proudly, but Gold noticed she was shaking slightly.

The sounds from the front door broke Belle's attention. Mary Margaret entered, followed by Bae in his wheelchair. "Thank you for dropping Bae home, Ms Blanchard."

"Not a problem Mr Gold" Mary Margaret said politely before she noticed Mr Gold's guest "Oh, Belle! I haven't seen you in three years!" she exclaimed, rushing over to Belle and giving her a hug "I've heard you've been doing so well with your degree, one year left, congratulations!"

"Thanks Mary Margaret. Your new haircut looks amazing. I love you with short hair!"

Mr Gold appeared slightly uncomfortable with the high energy female chat in the room and interrupted "Miss French has agreed to take up the position of our live in Nanny for Baelfire."

"Oh, so this means I have the job?" Belle asked.

"Yes Miss French, I believe you will be more than adequate." Gold smiled.

"That's if you're ok with this, Bae?" Belle turned to the young boy still by the door.

"It's ok, I guess. Anyway, I was going to go into the kitchen and fix a snack." Bae shrugged.

Belle sighed, clearly the boy didn't want her here, and she wasn't quite sure why, but she wanted to find out.

After Bae left for the kitchen Mary Margaret piped up "Belle, congratulations on your new job. Bae's lucky to have you. Anyway, I need to get home, I have so much marking to do. Call me, we'll catch up." She nodded towards Mr Gold and headed out the door. Belle stared at the front door, twisting her fingers through her brown curly hair, only to be brought back from her thoughts by Mr Gold Clearing his throat.

"What's the matter, Miss French? You look a wee bit lost."

"Oh, I'm ok. I was just thinking about Baelfire. Does he want me here?"

"What my boy wants and what he needs are two different things." Mr Gold said coldly. "Shall we go over your contract?"

"In a minute. First I want to speak to Bae."

Belle left a rather bewildered looking Mr Gold and entered the kitchen, finding Bae at the counter smearing arrowroot biscuits with peanut butter.

"That's my favourite snack." Belle commented.

"Mine too." Bae answered.

"Mind if I sit with you a minute?"

"Sure. Whatever."

Belle pulled around a kitchen stool so she could sit with Bae closer to his level. "So, I'm guessing by the look on your face this afternoon that your dad didn't tell you he was thinking of hiring a nanny."

"Nope, he didn't. I just wish he told me stuff. I've had a bunch of nannies, and they all leave because they can't stand my dad. Then my dad hires someone else because he can't stand to look after me."

Belle was shocked by this revelation, and that Bae was clearly more wounded than his physical injuries let on. Her heart broke with the thought of such a young boy feeling so broken and unloved.

"It's been like this since the accident, hasn't it?" Belle asked gently.

Bae shifted the biscuits around on his plate "Yes."

"Bae, I know that I'm not perfect and can't always make things better, but I promise that while I'm here, I'll do my best to help."

Bae pushed the plate of biscuits to Belle "Want some?"

"Sure." She said, taking a biscuit and munching on it. "wow, these are as good as I remember!"

"You know something Belle, you're pretty cool. You can stay if you want."

"Thanks, Bae. You know, you're pretty cool too."

Mr Gold entered the kitchen, wondering what could possibly be taking them so long. The green snake of jealousy bit into his heart when he saw the two of them together. Belle was practically a stranger, and she was already winning his son over, the two of them bonding over those awful childish biscuits. He pushed those feelings aside. It was what he did best.

"So Miss French, are you satisfied that my son has your hearty consent to stay here?" He said, leaning on his cane.

"Yes, apparently I'm going to be more than adequate." Belle replied, and Bae giggled.

"Alright, no more biscuits, you'll spoil your dinner." Belle said, keeping the tone light.

"You've been my nanny for like, 30 seconds and you're already telling me what to do?"

"Yep. Get used to it, kiddo." She said, wrapping up the biscuits and rummaging through the cupboards to find a plastic container to put them in.

Bae and his father continued to stare in silence at this new girl who had apparently already made herself at ease with the kitchen and with both of them. They exchanged a look, one that said in an untold way that their lives wouldn't be the same again.

Belle's phone started beeping in her pocket "Oh, my Saturday shift at the diner starts in an hour. I'm going to have to leave soon."

"Alright. I will show you around the rest of the house and where your rooms will be, and you can finally read your contract."

Belle and Mr Gold went upstairs to view the rooms Belle would be staying in, and he did mean rooms. Belle gasped when she saw that her quarters was a large suite with a king size bed, beautiful furniture, bathroom, walk in robe and a small living area with an entertainment unit and a study area.

"But, if this is the master suite, where do you live Mr Gold?"

"My rooms are down the hall in the West Wing . Don't worry, you won't be required to clean my rooms, and yes, they are bigger than yours."

"But, Mr Gold, this isn't a room, it's a whole apartment! Surely there's a smaller room I can stay in." The entire time she was talking she was running her fingers over the bedspread, so eager to launch herself onto it and feel how soft it really was. She refrained from this, not wanting to appear childish in front of her employer.

"Smaller room? Miss French, there is a small guest room downstairs, however there is no space for a study table in there and I won't have all of your paraphernalia lying about the living room."

"Ok, I'll take the apartment, if you insist," Belle replied back in a mocking tone.

"Alright Miss French, now, as you can see here is your contract there is a morality clause. I simply cannot have you running about late at night drinking and partying, and you are certainly not to entertain any young men in this apartment, however private it is."

"That's fine. I don't drink and I don't have a boyfriend or any intention of having one."

"That doesn't leave much room for a life for someone so young." Gold tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"It's alright, Mr Gold, I don't really need a life, I'll just be happy to be working."

Gold cleared his throat "Your salary will be $700 a week, as well as access to a debit card that will have $400 per week added to the account for groceries, incidentals and other things Bae needs."

Belle stopped running her fingers along the bedspread and stood up quickly. "Mr Gold, that's far too much, I was expecting about half of that."

"Miss French, are you aware that during a job interview you are supposed to negotiate with your employer? I've yet to meet anyone who wants to negotiate down as much as you do. Besides, given your working hours you would still be working for less than $10 an hour."

"I'm sorry, Mr Gold. I didn't grow up around a lot of money, so anything you would have offered would have sounded like a lot."

"So you're fine with the terms of your contract?"

"Yes. Very. Bae is a sweet kid, and this apartment and the salary are very generous."

"Yes, he does seem quite taken with you already. Anyway Miss French, I do not want you to be late for your shift. Shall you come back tomorrow afternoon to move your things in?"

"That sounds wonderful. I can be here by about two O'clock, which will give me a chance to pack my things."

Belle signed her contract and then hurried down the stairs much faster than Gold could on his cane. She wished Bae goodbye, and skipped out the door. As she dressed for her shift a Granny's, she felt almost dizzy with the thought of the apartment she was going to live in and a salary higher than she ever dreamed of. She might actually be able to start paying off her student debts, buy a new laptop and perhaps save some money in the process. Currently, her bank account contained a mere four hundred dollars and her student loans rivalled a small mortgage. Her car and laptop were dying and she had about three good outfits, and that included her 'good' target jeans and the purple blouse she paid two dollars for at goodwill that she had worn to her interview that afternoon.

She arrived at Granny's with five minutes to spare, so she donned her apron and began to refill the sugar, salt and ketchup containers. She had to remember to call it ketchup to the patrons at the diner; they all looked at her strangely when she offered them tomato sauce, insisting that they didn't order spaghetti. Americans didn't always understand Australian slang.

She was about halfway through her prep tasks when Ruby flounced in, wearing a dangerously short red vinyl dress and black lace up knee high boots.

"I want to thank you again for taking the Friday and Saturday shifts here Belle, it's given me my life back."

"Glad I can help. Granny's a great boss." Belle replied.

Ruby rolled her eyes "Yea, but you're not related to her. She totally freaked about my outfit tonight."

"Well, in her defence, it is a little short, and by a little, I mean very." Belle giggled.

"Come on, this will pay dividends in free drinks twice what it cost me." Ruby stood back, pushing up her cleavage to she could appear at full advantage.

"Nice to see I didn't waste my breath ranting about that ridiculous outfit." Granny came out of the back kitchen area with her notepad in hand, eyeing Ruby through her little spectacles that sat on the end of her nose.

"Yep, good thing." Ruby Huffed, ignoring her grandmother "Hey Belle, we should do something tomorrow, I should be awake by noon."

"You'll be up before that, I need you for the breakfast shift tomorrow. Ashleigh has a cold." Granny chimed in

Ruby huffed and turned to Belle "Raincheck?"

"I'm going to need a raincheck anyway, I've accepted the job to be Bae's nanny, so I'm moving into Gold's house tomorrow."

Ruby and her grandmother continued to stare, just a little speechless.

"Belle, are you sure that's such a good idea?" Granny prompted.

"Yea, Gold's scary, and caring for Bae will be full-on." Ruby added.

"Guys, I appreciate the concern, but I'll be fine. I need the money to finish my degree and Bae is a wonderful kid. Besides, I can handle Gold."

"I'll bet you can, are you going to counteract his evilness with sunshine, puppies and rainbows? Because I can tell you now, he'll burn you out." Ruby said sarcastically.

"He can try." Belle returned with equal sarcasm.

"Alright, it's your life. See you all I'm going to blow off some steam." With that Ruby flounced off, leaving Belle and Granny with the Saturday night crowd.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much everyone for all of your wonderful reviews – you've already inspired me to get the next chapter going and there have been 100 visitors already for a story that is only 12 hours old!**

Chapter 2:

Saturday night was oddly busy at Granny's. Even the mayor Regina Mills and her adopted son Henry came in for dinner around 7. She was one scary woman, and Belle wondered how Henry had turned out so sweet. Belle barely had a chance to take a break and was run off her feet keeping up with orders and making sure the tables were clean for the next wave of customers.

Belle worked the rest of the night until about midnight, finishing off the cleaning, settling the till and wiping any stickiness off the menus. Belle stifled a yawn as she bid Granny a good night, and headed out to the parking lot to collect her clunky old Toyota. She was surprised and a little taken aback when she saw her ex-boyfriend Greg waiting for her, leaning against the bonnet of her car. After three years of being single, she had forgotten how handsome he was. But then he opened his mouth, and she remembered how vain and ignorant he was and why she broke up with him in the first place.

"Belle, I've been waiting here for you forever." He exclaimed, rushing over to her. "How come you didn't tell me you were back in town?"

"I've been busy. Besides, we broke up – I don't need to tell you anything." Belle fumbled through her bag for her keys, angry that she didn't get them out before she left the diner.

"Belle, come on. We were great together. Come on; let me buy you a drink."

Belle found her keys. "No Greg, I don't want a drink. Over is over. I'm exhausted and I have to pack tomorrow."

"Where are you going?"

Belle was sorry she said anything. "I've taken the job of the live in nanny for Mr Gold's son."

"That monster? Belle, this is a huge mistake. Come live with me like we planned."

"Like you planned." Belle muttered sarcastically.

"What?" He demanded.

"Nothing."

"Please Belle, why don't you give me a chance? Give US a chance" he spoke, trying to take hold of her hands.

"Greg, I've told you before, this relationship isn't what I want. I really need to go home."

Belle started her old Toyota and the engine roared to life. She reversed out of the parking lot quickly and left Greg standing there. Belle fought back tears. Her relationship with Greg wasn't horrible, and truth be told he wasn't a bad guy, but she had spent two years trying to experience love, connection and passion and never found it. It may have been futile, but she wanted so much more than an empty relationship, so much more of everything in life. To her, love was layered, not superficial and jealous. Belle had already conceded that she would have to spend a long time alone to reach her dream.

When Belle returned to her father's house, she saw that Moe hadn't moved from his spot on the couch. The half empty bottle of whisky sat next to him on the side table.

"You're home late."

"Yes papa, I had the late shift at Granny's" Belle answered, kneeling in front of her father. "and then I ran into Greg and it made me late."

"Why couldn't you give the man a chance? I just want to see you happy." Moe stroked his daughter's cheeks

"I am happy, Papa. I decide what I want from my life." Belle tried to assure her father

"Belle, I've worked hard my entire life, I have a mountain of debt because the business is failing, and I have half a family left. Don't make the same mistakes I made. It's a lonely bloody road." Moe sat back up and refilled his glass. "Besides, this stuff is the only thing that keeps me warm at night."

Belle wrapped her arms around her father "Oh, Papa!" She exclaimed, all the hurt from all of her years flooding back to her.

This was a rare night of clarity for Moe French. Often after a night of drinking he would be passed out on the couch, or shouting at the latest soccer game on TV. For years Belle felt like she didn't exist in her father's eyes, and escaped to Boston after realising she alone couldn't make her father sober up. Moe released his daughter from the hug. "How did your interview with the town monster go?"

Belle rolled her eyes "why is everyone asking me that? And yes, I got the job. I'm going to need it if we're both going to make ends meet."

"That's true. It just hurts that you have to work so hard because I couldn't give you everything you deserved."

Belle had to turn away from her father so he wouldn't see her cry. She knew her dad wouldn't remember this conversation in the morning.

"You know, I think I'm done for the night. I'm off to bed." Moe left his favourite chair and headed for his room, but not before staring at the family portrait that was on the wall in the hallway. Belle looked around the living room and kitchen. The dishes hadn't been finished, and the living room was a mess. She distracted herself by ensuring everything was spotless before collapsing into bed, but not before setting her alarm for 7am so she would have enough time to pack.

Sunday at 7am rolled around far too quickly, and having had only had 5 hours of sleep, Belle tiptoed downstairs and began cooking up a storm. She done a large grocery shop yesterday to ensure her father would have enough ready-made meals to live on if she was going to work for Mr Gold. Her father usually relied on microwave meals and take-out, which was far too expensive and unhealthy. In about an hour she had a vegetable and barley soup and a beef stew on the stove, and a chicken casserole in the oven. Satisfied that nothing was going to burn while she was away, she ran upstairs and took a quick shower, changed into jeans and a t-shirt and loaded her father's clothes into the wash. She continued to watch the stove while she sipped her tea and began writing a list. She still had to pack her things, load the car, scrub the bathroom and vacuum the house. It was going to be a busy day.

Moe wondered into the kitchen at about 9:30, just as Belle was loading all of the food into plastic containers, labelling them and getting them in the freezer. They ate their cereal in relative silence, neither of them mentioning their conversation from last night. Moe retreated back into bed and Belle continued to work at a frantic pace. She raided the garage for the right size boxes and trudged them upstairs.

Her head was full of thoughts as she packed her things. Her first thought was that she didn't own much, her second thought was that she wasn't good enough to do the job she was hired for. The last thought was about Bae and how lonely he must be. She wondered about the accident that had caused his injuries. Belle's family hadn't been living in Storybrooke for that long compared to the locals, and no-one talked about Gold, possibly out of fear that he was going to overhear and double everyone's rent. 2 hours later, her things were all packed and Belle was already exhausted. She looked around at her empty tiny room one last time. Before she would let tiredness set in she loaded all of her things into her Toyota wagon, praying it wouldn't break down on her way to Mr Gold's.

She managed to pull into Mr Gold's driveway at exactly 2pm. She took a deep breath before she knocked on the door. "Here goes nothing." She said to herself.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry it's been so long between updates - life as usual is getting in the way. Please leave reviews to let me know what you think!**

**Chapter 3: **

Mr Gold answered the door fully dressed in a suit despite the fact it was Sunday afternoon.

"Ah, Miss French, right on time I see, that's always a promising start."

"It didn't take me long to pack, and everything fit into my car so I won't need to make a second trip." Belle replied.

"Everything you own fits in that tiny death-trap?" Gold commented, pointing at the offending vehicle as if it may suddenly attack everything in a rage.

"Yes, and it's not a death-trap! It works just fine, even if it's a little thirsty."

"Well, I cannot prevent you from driving your vehicle on your own time, however I must insist if you are going to transport my son anywhere, you'll take my Tahoe. I can use the Cadillac in the garage."

"You own a Cadillac?" Belle asked, suddenly enthused.

"Yes, it's a 1957, runs like a dream. I bought the Tahoe because it's much easier with the wheelchair."

"Oh I just love vintage cars. I mean, my car is practically vintage, but not the good kind." Belle Rambled.

"Well, we should get your car unloaded. Do you require any assistance?"

"Oh, no, I wouldn't dream of it! I'm sure it's not good for you to lift boxes up the stairs with that knee and all. I'll be fine."

"Alright then, I'm starting to see that you want to impress on me how independent you are. Once you've unloaded that eyesore of yours you can park it in the side carport. Dinner is usually at 6:30pm, and I'll be in my study until then. Enjoy your afternoon, Miss French."

Belle followed Mr Gold into the house, and Belle found Bae, still dressed in his PJ's, staring at the television mindlessly flicking channels. He looked utterly bored.

"Good afternoon Bae." Belle said, entering the darkened living room.

"Hey, Belle." Bae replied noncommittally.

"Nothing good on, huh?" Belle asked.

"Nope, nothing ever happens on a Sunday."

"That's why you didn't get dressed this morning?"

"Yea, it's a lot of effort to go through if you're not going to leave the house."

"I get that. So how about I finish unloading the car, you get dressed and we go do something."

Bae suddenly brightened. "The park's really close, and dad had the council pave all the way to the lake. Could we go and see the ducks? Dad won't let me go by myself."

Belle smiled. "Alright, just give me half an hour and I'll be ready."

Bae turned the TV off and hurried off to get himself changed. Belle was excited that her plan was falling into place. It would be good to get Bae out of the house. She would also have to learn what else he enjoyed doing and try to fit that into the week.

By the time she had unpacked the car and made several trips up the stairs her arms were beginning to ache, and she wanted nothing more than to try out the gigantic bathtub in her own bathroom, however she made a promise to Bae and she was going to keep it. On her final trip downstairs she had a look in the fridge and pantry to decide what to make for dinner. There wasn't much, and nothing was defrosted, however she found pasta, passata and cheese, and that would make a fine Sunday dinner. She figured based on a cursory glance that no-one in the house was dairy or gluten intolerant.

Mr Gold's office was upstairs on the other side of the hall to her rooms. She decided it was a good idea to let him know where they were going before he thought his son was kidnapped. She approached the door and tapped quietly, suddenly feeling a bit nervous.

"Everything alright, Miss French?" He asked, appearing mildly concerned.

"Oh, everything's fine. I just thought I'd let you know that Bae and I are going to the park to see the ducks. We'll be back in time for dinner, is Spaghetti alright?"

Gold looked temporarily bewildered "Bae wants to go out?"

"Yes, he's been cooped up all day. He could use some fresh air. Would you like to join us?"

"I would love to however I have rather pressing business to attend to that unfortunately cannot wait." He rummaged through his desk drawer and handed Belle a set of house keys. "You'll be needing these to get back in."

"Alright, it looks like I'm all set. I've got your cell and home phone programmed into my cell, so I'll call if anything happens."

"Enjoy your afternoon. Don't stay out too late." And with that Mr Gold closed the door to his study again before Belle had a chance to reply. She had a thought that she would need to re-introduce some family time on the weekends and quickly.

Belle found Bae already by the front door, dressed and looking incredibly excited.

"I found some old bread in the Freezer, do you think the ducks would like that?" Belle asked.

"Awesome." Bae Smiled.

The pair left the house, Belle diligently checking whether front door was locked and carefully placing the keys in her jeans pocket.

"Do you need me to help push?" Belle asked.

"Nah, the path is pretty flat, I only need help with the steeper bit right by the lake."

The walk was unbelievably pleasant. It had been a long time since Belle had gone anywhere just to admire the scenery. Normally she had firm deadlines in place and the only other time she ventured out was for a run to clear her head. Bae was excellent company, and in his own quiet way had begun to open up to her. It couldn't be easy for him, but despite his difficulties he was enjoying himself.

Feeding the ducks and finding the ones that were still hidden from view by the reeds filled up more time than Belle thought. The lake was beautiful, and it had clear water and lush grass. Belle would have to remind herself to take a picnic blanket and a book some time. She also noticed a park bench and a cooking area. "Hey Bae, how would you like to come down here for a BBQ for lunch next weekend?"

"What if Dad can't come?"

"I'll see what I can do. He can't work 24/7."

"Wanna bet?" Bae sighed.

"Come on, it's getting late. I still have to make dinner and learn my way around your kitchen."

Belle opened the front door and saw no sight of Mr Gold. She thought this was slightly odd, considering they had been out for so long. Once they were in the kitchen with hands washed, Belle got to work getting everything ready for dinner.

"Did you want to help with dinner, Bae?" She asked.

Bae looked momentarily panicked. "I don't know how."

"Well, I'm only making spaghetti, which is pretty simple. How about you grate the cheese for me?"

"I've never done that before." He said nervously.

"I can show you." Belle said, rummaging through the drawer for the grater. She set Bae up at the kitchen table as it was a better height than the counter.

"See? Hold the cheese in your hand, keeping your fingers away from the blade, and hold the grater in the other hand to keep in steady. The cheese will fall out the bottom onto the chopping board."

Bae tentatively ran the cheese through the grater, looking very astonished that the cheese came out in perfect pieces.

Belle smiled, her little soux chef was learning quickly. She got to work and put on water to boil the pasta, and then set the table with nice placemats, plates and cutlery. She glanced over at the window and saw some herbs growing in little pots on the windowsill. She excitedly picked some Greek Basil and some parsley to add to her dish. The kitchen was starting to smell wonderful, like a real Italian kitchen. Garlic, tomatoes and herbs wafted through the entire house. He scent was enough even to drive Mr Gold out of his study to see what was being created.

"Something smells good." Gold said as he entered the kitchen.

"I helped!" Bae exclaimed. "I grated all the cheese."

"You did a great job Bae, would you mind taking it to the table?" Belle asked.

"Sure thing."

When the pasta was plated up both boys ate hungrily, also snatching large chunks of garlic bread that Belle had made with some slightly stale rolls and sprinkled with herbs.

"This is delicious Bell." Mr Gold complimented.

"Yea, it's really good." Bae agreed.

"I'm glad you like it. I'm going to have to do a grocery shop tomorrow if we want to eat anything more creative, we're nearly out of everything."

"I must confess we do usually order in a lot." Mr Gold said. "But I think some home cooking is a welcome change."

Belle began clearing the plates. She noticed that despite the fact the kitchen was large, it was quite disorganised. She would have to fix that tomorrow if she wanted to make the kitchen more functional. She figured Mr Gild wouldn't mind.

"Does anyone want tea?" Belle asked. Tea after dinner was a habit Belle had kept since she was in primary school. It was a comforting tradition.

"Yes thank you dearie, I'll assemble the tea in the kitchen. The spare cups are on the hutch."

While Mr Gold was boiling the kettle Belle retrieved a spare teacup. It was simply glorious and obviously belonged to an expensive set; it was a bone white china cup with a simple blue detail. Very elegant.

"Can I look at that?" Bae asked.

"Sure." She said, handing him the cup. Bae stared at it for a while before his fingers slipped and the cup landed on the table, causing a slight chip at the top of the rim. Both of them let out a large gasp. At that inopportune moment, Mr Gold made his way to the table with the tea tray in hand.

"What happened here?" Gold asked, probably slightly harsher than he intended.

Bae started to speak, but Belle cut him off. "I'm so sorry Mr Gold, I lost my grip and the cup dropped to the table. It's chipped, but you can hardly see it." She said quickly, holding the cup in her hand like it was a baby bird, her Australian accent sounding broader than ever.

"It's just a cup." Mr Gold shrugged. He began to pour the tea. He offered the perfect cup back to Belle and took the chipped one for himself. "Better let me have this one, Miss French, I wouldn't risk you hurting yourself on the cut ceramic."

"Oh, please Mr Gold, don't use that cup, I'll get you one that isn't damaged."

"And risk you smashing more of my fine china, Miss French? Unlikely." He smirked.

Everyone at the table let out a small chuckle. When you thought about it, it _was_ pretty funny. She also thought it was a strange coincidence that she and Mr Gold both liked their tea the same way – loose leaf English breakfast with milk and half a teaspoon of raw sugar.

"I must admit its nice sharing tea with a fellow tea enthusiast. Americans seem to live off coffee alone."

"That's true, but I'm not the exception to the rule. I'm from Australia, and plenty of us drink tea."

"What part of Australia did you come from?" Bae asked excitedly "did you hunt crocodile and ride Kangaroos to school?"

"Well, I think I need to get you up to date with your Australia facts!" Belle said in a mocking tone.

"Besides, Kangaroos do not take kindly to little kids riding in their pouches, however hard you try." Bae Laughed, and even Gold looked amused.

"I came from a small town called Atherton. It's in the North Queensland tropical hinterland, but the climate is colder there, because the town is hidden away in the mountains that were formed by volcanoes. Half of the area kind of reminds me of what Scotland or Ireland would look like. The green sloping hills are beautiful."

"Why did you move?" Bae asked.

"Dad moved us to Boston to build a new florist business. He was always such a dreamer. He knew I loved books and would probably go to college, so he moved us all to a town renowned for its universities."

"Who else moved with you?" Bae asked. "You said your Dad moved you all to Boston, who else went?"

Belle looked temporarily distracted. She ran her fingers over the rim of her teacup. "My Mum went with us Boston." She said quietly.

"Where is your mum now?" Bae asked.

Gold looked over at Belle, seeing her distress.

"She died." Belle said quietly.

"I'm sorry." Bae said sincerely. "I didn't know."

"It's ok, you had no way of knowing. Anyway, it's getting late and I know you have school in the morning."

Belle got up quickly and began clearing up the tea things. Though she appeared cheerful and busy, Gold could see what he thought was a small tear in the corner of her eye, and he was suddenly full of concern. Why should he care about the new help? She would get fed up and leave in a few months, just like all the others. Belle wouldn't be any different – and he was trying to figure out why that bothered him so much.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**

**I want to thank everyone for their kind reviews! **

**Jewel415: Thanks for coming back! I agree that I never get bored of Rumbelle, regardless of the context!**

**Cynicsquest: I'm glad you liked Belle's Aussie background - I figured I could take the liberty of this because it's an AU storyline. I would love to know what you thought about everything in Chapter 2 with Greg/Gaston and her Dad and their history - it's just a bit of a blank spot in the review history and more of this will be revealed as the story goes on. Thanks for continuing to read!**

**ARDingbat: Welcome on board! I know, being an Australian myself I have had so many strange questions about Australia, and these usually make me laugh. Thanks for your encouragement to continue the story, I've hopefully answered your questions in this chapter. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 4:**

Belle helped Bae into bed after he had cleaned his teeth, and promised to turn around while he changed into his pyjamas. Bae looked a little surprised when Belle began arranging his sheets and tucking him in gently under the covers.

"I'm sorry, I didn't ask you if you wanted to be tucked in." Belle apologised, realising that a 10 year old may have some objection to being fussed over.

"No, it's ok, I just haven't been tucked in for a while. It's nice." Bae said. "My mum used to tuck me in, but she left after my accident." Bae averted his gaze away from Belle.

"I'm so sorry, Bae, how old were you?" She asked carefully, ready to drop the subject if it got too painful.

"Five." Bae answered quietly. "I don't really remember most of the car accident, my Dad hurt his knee in the same accident. He said that Mum went on a long holiday, but I think that's because he doesn't want to tell me that she's not coming back."

Belle held the young boys hand gently. There really were no words to say. Whatever heartache Belle had experienced, she always knew she had had parents who loved her. Clearly Bae had never been told, or shown how much he was loved.

"Would you like a story before you go to bed?" Belle asked.

"Aren't I too old for bedtime stories?" Bae asked.

"Never." Belle answered firmly "I still read before bed every night. What story would you like?"

"We're about to read Gulliver's travels to do a book report. I haven't started it yet."

"Oh, you'll like it! A man travels to many strange lands and encounters giants and Lilliput people."

"What are Lilliput people?" Bae asked, suddenly interested.

"Well, we're going to have to read it to find out."

Belle sat next to Bae and read the first chapter of Gulliver's travels. Bae found the book fascinating, but by the end of the first chapter, his eyelids were drooping.

Belle ensured that Bae was tucked in properly, and that he had everything he needed for the night. His alarm was set for 7am and he had his bell to ring if he needed anything.

"Belle?"

"Yes Bae?"

"Can we read some more tomorrow night?"

"Of course. Goodnight, sweet dreams."

Belle closed the door gently, and went back to the kitchen to begin tidying up. On the kitchen bench she found a note:

_Miss French, _

_This is a reminder that Bae needs to be at school by 8:30am and will need a packed lunch. I leave for the shop around 8:00am. The house is already locked for the night and I do not wish to be disturbed this evening A. Gold. _

Belle was momentarily put out by such a curt note. Couldn't he have waited for her to finish putting Bae to bed to speak to her? She had thought everyone was getting along well, even after the teacup incident. Clearly, Mr Gold liked his solitude. Now that she was here, he would be able to stay locked in his study or his shop, knowing Bae was taken care of. That thought bothered her. She knew she was here to do most of the work like the cooking, cleaning and errands, however she thought that would mean Gold had more time to spend with his son, not an excuse to spend less.

She finished her duties in the kitchen, switched off the lights and headed up to her room. She was still amazed at the size of the room, and the bed looked extremely comfortable. It was unfortunate that she hadn't had a chance to unpack any of her things, and resolved to begin this in the morning. All she needed tonight was a clean nightie, her toiletry bag and a towel, which she fetched out of her battered suitcase.

She ran the water in the bathtub, letting it fill while she placed fresh sheets on the bed. The ones Mr Hold had left out for her felt so crisp and beautiful, with a much higher thread count than she was used to.

Once her bath was filled, she let herself soak, relieving her tight muscles that she earned while moving all of her things. When the water turned cold and her fingers were all shrivelled, she reluctantly left the bath and changed into her nightgown. She crawled into her new bed, and fell asleep within moments of her head touching her pillow.

Belle was out of bed at 6am, knowing she could have easily stayed in longer, but wanting to get a head start on the day. She rummaged through her suitcase, pulled on a clean outfit and began to sort out her room.

Most of her clothes were already hanging in the robe, and she emptied out her clothes from her suitcase into the drawers. She then wiped out all of the bathroom drawers and placed her things inside – they barely took up half the available space.

She was about to start unpacking her books when she noticed the bookshelves were dusty. She would have to attend to that later.

She arrived in the kitchen by 6:30 to make herself breakfast, surprised to see Mr Gold already at the table, drinking his tea out of the chipped cup while reading the morning paper.

"Oh, I'm sorry Mr Gold, I was going to ask you if you wanted me to throw out that cup."

"That won't be necessary, Miss French." He said, not looking up from his paper.

"Would you like some breakfast?" She asked, suddenly feeling a little intimidated by his coldness.

"Toast with marmalade, please." He said, again not looking up.

Belle quickly made the toast, some with marmalade for Mr Gold and Vegemite for herself.

The two of them sat down to breakfast in comparative silence. Belle was only in shorts and a collared running shirt, and felt very underdressed next to Mr Gold in his suit. She wished she had brought a book down with her, so she wouldn't feel as awkward.

Mr Gold closed his paper. "So, Miss French, are you going to tell me why you took the blame when it was Bae who broke the cup?"

"Well." Belle said, shuffling her feet from under the table. "It was an honest accident, and I didn't want him to feel bad."

Mr Gold made a slight 'hmmm' and went back to his breakfast. For the life of her she couldn't figure him out. One moment he seemed almost curious about her, then he would completely ignore her. She decided not to rock the boat on her first day.

Belle got to work in the kitchen to assemble Bae's lunch. There still wasn't much in the fridge, but she was able to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and then added a juice box, an apple and a muesli bar into his Avenger's lunchbox. She also wrapped up two arrowroot biscuits in case he wanted a treat.

Bae entered the kitchen around 7:30. He was just about to start on his cereal when Mr Gold announced he was off to work. Belle noticed that Gold didn't hug or kiss his son goodbye. Again Belle decided not to press the issue.

Getting Bae into the car wasn't as difficult as Belle originally thought. Bae had enough arm strength to do a transfer into the front seat of the car sliding on a slide board. The wheelchair was also light enough to lift into the back of the car.

The Tahoe was a dream to drive, and Belle thought she wouldn't mind driving it around. She parked at the front of the school in the disability park, and she saw that Henry was waiting out the front for Bae. In that moment she realised just how unique both Henry and Bae were for children their age. After promising to be back by 3 to pick Bae up, she drove off, her head full of the list of things that she needed to do and the growing number of things she should or shouldn't say to Mr Gold.


End file.
